Arc welding system



Malh 4, 1930. R. E; FRxcKEY ET AL 1,749,133

ARC WELDING SYSTEM original Filed Nov. 29, 1924 442 Owing/9.

Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED Vs'ra'n-:s

4Parleur OFFICE ROYAL E. FBICKYIOF 'BAN FRANCISCO, AND ARION S. KALENIBOBN, OF BEDWOOD A CITY, CALIFORNIA ARC WELDING SYSTEME4 Application led November 89, v1924, Serial No. 752,870. Renewed December 17, 1928.

This invention relates to arc welding, and particularly to the use of arc welding or repairing or building up worn rail ends or rails of railroads.

5 Railroad tracks are formed by laying rail sections end to end, and since account must be taken of the variation in length of the sections due to temperature changes, there is left a small space between adjacent rail ends. As

lo the wheels of a train pass from one track section to another, the ends of the rails receive a severe hammering from the wheels; due fto the fact that both rails do not flex in unison under the load. -This hammering produces l5 objectionable vwear in time, andelectric arc welding systems are utilized to build up the ends and thereby make the track section serviceable again for another long period. Arc welding may be also used in connecting the sections together electrically or for bonding.

But irrespective of the particular immediate use to which thewelding system is put, the operation o f such systems along the rightof-way prior to our invention has been cumbersome and expensive. The most convenient form of weldin is by ther` aid of electricity; yet as hereto ore practiced for steam v railroad work, it is either unduly ex ensive or else dangerous. This is due tot e fact that the welding operation must be performed in successionl at spaced points corresponding tothe places where the rail sect1ons are joined. The electric power for the arc has been produced either by operating a nerator near the scene ofthe work, or else rom an overhead trolley. If a enerator be operated, it must be moved up or each section, and this is time consuming, whether the equipment is mounted on a hand-car on the rails or on a tractor alongside the right of way. When the trolley is used the high voltages encountered form a serious hazard.

' It is thus one of the objects of our inven tion to overcome these disadvantages and to make it possible to utilize electrical arc welding eiciently and safely for repairing the rails under all conditions.

It is still another object of our invention to ensure against dangerous voltage condif 50 tions on any part of the entire system.

Uur invention possesses other advantages,

.some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where we shall outline in full .that form tion as defined in the claims may be embodied in other forms also.

Referring to the drawings:

The single fi ure is a wiring diagram illustrating one'em odiment of our welding system.

Our invention contemplates the use of a prime mover l to drive an alternating current generator 2, adapted to sppply the electrical power consumed by the arc -welding. This generator is so constructed as tov supply substantially a constant current over a comparatively wide range of variation of the load impedance. rlhis efect is useful to steady the arc load, and may be obtained for example by providing for alarge armature reaction, which in turn may be produced by reducing the air gap between the field and armature structures. ln order to supply the excitation for this generator 2, we show a small direct current exciter 3', adapted to be driven by the prime mover 1.l This exciterv supplies the field circuit of generator 2, comprising a variable resistor 4, the field winding 5, and another resistor 6. This latter resistor is arranged to be 'shunted out of the circuit at times, as explained hereinafter, to provide the normal or Working excitation.

The apparatus thus far described is preferably mounted on a. light car, running on the rails for moving it,ffrom one place to another along the tracks. During the process of welding, the car is taken olf the tracks to permit the passage of trains, and it must be again placed onl the track when it is required to move the apparatus to a new location. It is one of: the important features of our invention that the frequency of moving the apparatus is materially reduced over any other method, and there is a great saving of time thereby. This we accom lish byusing `portable ca les 7 and 8 whic extend from the generator 2 to the locationwhere the lweldm is to be performed. These cables are prefera ly made up of comparatively short sections 26, say of 250 feet, so that they mav \be readily connected in series as required.

11, must be operatelatcomparativel low voltage, of the neighborhood of 25 vo ts, -it is evidentthat the use of suclilon cables as we have described between it ai e generator 2 would cause too great a loss un eslaprohibitively large amount of copilger be util-l ized. In order to overcome t tage, and yet make it feasible to extend cables 7 and 8 for a distance of ahalf-mile or more, the generator'2 is caused to produce a comparatively high voltage, which is transformed to a low value at the work, and which flic-` tuates as the arc length varies, to keep the cui'- rent supplied substantially constant. By way of example only, the arc 9 may take about 20 0 amperes at 25 volts, and under these conditions of operation, a' 4 to 1 reducing transformer 12 may be used, causiig 2 to supply about 100 volts. f course as the arc lengthens, this voltage rises considerably, but under normal arc conditions, vthere is no dan rous voltage between cables 7 and 8.

e cables 7 and 8 are extended or shortened however while the arc 9 is broken and inoperative. If under such circumstances no special provisions be made to reduce the volt-A a to a safe value, then the manipulation of ciles 7 and 8 becomes dangerous. In order to revent undue volta e rise, and in fact to re uce it even below t e normal value, we utilize an automatic switch 13 to reduce the generator voltage whenever the arc 9 is broken` or is unduly lengthened.- The switch in this instance comprises a coil 14 responsive tochanges in the generator current. This may be accom lished by inserting the coil 14 in series in eit er of cables 7 or 8. While the current consumption is above a definite value,

the core 15 is 16 and 17 are core 15. These contacts serve to short.- circuit the resistor 6 in the field exciting circuit of generator 2, and thereby cause full excitation to exist. We preferably set the switch 13 so that it opens the circuit between contacts 16 and 17, at about when the arc breaks, which occurs when the secondary voltage isabout Adouble the normal operating value. The ope of the contacts 16, 17,

pulled u wardly, and contacts nin causes a material re uction in the field excitation of generator 2, and this inturn causes the voltage generated thereby to be reduced to the generator ridged y the disc 18 carried f f" imaias a safe value. The amount of reduction een be determined by sister 6 properly. e

' Although we illustrate a system in which no impedance or inductance is used externally of generator 2, such an expedient could be utilized to provide a substantially constant current over the wor ran in lieu of, or in combination with, t e special design of generator 2.

The operation of the system as thus far describedv ma now be summarized. After the apparatus as been moved .to a location which is central as re ards the work to'be done from that position, t e cables 7 and 8 are extended to their maximum capacit to reachto one of the farthermost rails to operated u n. This may be` done with safety even w e prime mover 1 is yin operation, for switch 13 is disadvan\open, and the generated voltage correspond-r inglylgw. After the cables are thus extended the arc be struck by touching electrode 10 to rail 11.- is causes a suflicient current to How to close swi 13, and full excitation is im on generato the cables 7 and 8 are read'justed for the next rail. o The operation may-then be repeated.

It is evident that when half-mile cables 7 and 8 are used, the equipment need be moved only once to Qperateon a mile of track, because the cables may be'extended to either side of the generator 2. Furthermore, when building up rail ends as described, it is necessariy to smooth o the builtup end after the we din isv completed. This can be aecomplislie by the aid of a 'nder 19 diagram` matically illustrated, an operated by a mutor 20. Another feature of our invention resides in the fact 'that we utilize one of the cables 7 or 8 (in which the coil 14 is not present as a common return for both motor 20 an transformer 12. The other conductor for the motor circuit is shown at'21. The:

grinder motor 20 is preferably a direct cnrrent motor, and to supply energy thereto, we ollcrate a small direct current generator 22, `w ich may'ailso be driven from the'prime mover 1. s generator is shown as a shunt generator havin the ield circuit consisting' .I of the seid win 23 and a variable mi tor 24.`

The conductor or 1ine 21 is made up in coinaratively short sections 27, to conuctors 7 and 8, so that it too may be adjusted to the proper length.

We claim:

1. In an arc weldin system, a step down portable transformer avin in ut and output terminals, a welding circuit associated with the output terminals of the transformer, a portable constant current generator, a portable conductor interconnecting the generator Then the arc may drawn by the welder to o timum length. As soon as the repairing is co eted, the arc 9 is broken; switch 13 opens, an

choosing the value of relll and the input terminals of the transformer, said generator having a high reactive armature whereby the potential on the conductor may be maintained below a safe value during operation of the welding are, and means associated with the generator for maintaining the potential below a dangerous value when the weldin circuit is open.

2. In a porta le alternating current arc welding system, a step down portable transformer, a welding circuit connected with the low side of the transformer, a constant current generator having a lrelatively hi h reactive armature, relatively long portab e conductors connecting the transformer input and generator, and means for controlling the voltage supply of the generator in response to the breaking of the welding circuit, said means including a current responsive device series connected between the generator and the transformer input.

3. In an arc welding system, a step-down portable transformer having input and output terminals, a welding circuit associated with the output terminals of the transformer, a portable generator, a long portable conductor forming a circuitbetween the generator and the input terminals of the transformer, means associated near the generator end of the conductor for maintaining the potential applied to the conductor below a dangerous value when the welding circuit is open, and reactive load controlling means included in said last named circuitat the generator end of the conductor, said last named means serving to control the current ap lied to the conductor and the current app ied to the welding circuit.

In testimony whereof, we havel hereunto set our hands.

ROYAL E. FRICKEY. ARION S. KALENBORN. 

